Robot welding of hatch coamings for large container ships

摘要

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to describe the changes that were needed in an existing offline programming system (OLP) in order to produce heavy steel weldments. Design/methodology/approach The paper examines the changes needed in an OLP system in order to produce heavy steel weldments in a shipyard. Findings The paper finds that the new requirements given for the production of hatch coaming lead to a fundamentally change in the design of the OLP system; it is possible to automate the welding of heavy steelplates, but the savings in this process are not always as planned. Practical implications It is not clear that the added complexity makes for a better software system. Sometimes a split into two programs makes the design of the programs more simple. Originality/value The paper shows how manipulators can be used in a new way to increase the welding quality at a robot installation in a shipyard.